Certain gaming devices, and in particular, slot machines include base or primary games and bonus or secondary games using identical symbols and sets of symbols on the reels which are displayed to the player on the same display device or on different display devices. To avoid player confusion, regulators have required that the same symbols have the same probability of winning in the primary game and in the bonus game or round. For instance, when the player obtains a bonus of ten free spins based on a predetermined combination of symbols, each free spin must provide the same probability of winning as the spin in the primary game.
It is known in the art to provide bonus games which have some of the same symbols as the symbols in the primary game to change the probability in the bonus game and to increase a player's chances of winning in the bonus game. However, using the same symbols in the primary game and in the bonus game, and then changing the associated probability related to those symbols between each game, has been prohibited in certain jurisdictions in the United States. Regulators believe that such dual use of symbols and dual probabilities relating to those similar symbols will cause player confusion. Therefore, the gaming regulators generally do not allow for the same set of symbols to have varying probabilities of winning.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide new gaming devices that eliminate confusion and increase player enjoyment and excitement.